Today, the Irish, the more than 70 million world-wide who claim Irish heritage, and the Irish-for-a-day, will be lifting a pint of Guinness, or something stronger, to toast Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland.

It’s curious why Americans feel so threatened when the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System reveals no deaths from measles in more than ten years; however, there were at least 108 deaths linked to the measles vaccine.

Each month Tenderloin Police Station features a citizen who represents the unique flavor of the Tenderloin. This month we interviewed Paul Harkin. Paul has been working at Glide Memorial Church for the last five years.

The San Francisco Bay Guardian will come back to life this Thursday, January 22, with the release of the Guardian-in-Exile Project’s commemorative final print edition, celebrating the defunct newspaper’s 48-year history of “printing the news and raising hell” and discussing what happened and what’s next.

We aren’t the folks with the guns. We aren’t criminalizing anyone or taking away their rights. We haven’t put thousands upon thousands of families out of their homes. We don’t evade our responsibility to care for seniors, veterans, disabled and sick people. We’ve never used the vast reaches of mainstream media to fan the flames of fear and hate.

Former Supervisor Dan White, a Catholic conservative, gunned down Milk and Moscone in cold blood at City Hall when White learned he would not be reappointed to his seat following his resignation.

At his trial, an all-white jury was reportedly swayed by White’s taped confession and what became known as White’s “Twinkie defense.” The jury found White guilty of 2nd degree murder, a lesser charge that touched off a night of rioting dubbed the “White Night” riots following a serene candlelit vigil and march from The Castro to City Hall.

This amazing act of charity started with one person 37 years ago. Perry Spink was a bartender and drag queen performer in the Tenderloin. In 1974, someone gave Perry a bunch of turkeys and he decided to share them with his neediest neighbors. He donned his “Tessie” costume and played hostess along with several of his not-so-sober bar buddies and made Thanksgiving memorable for many down-and-out elderly in the Tenderloin. Tessie also started giving gift bags along with the meals, a tradition that lives on today. These bags contain donated items such as toiletries, socks, gloves and an assortment of non-perishable food.

This movement is larger than a single voice, a single message – or even a single person. It is larger than you or me. The mantra, “We are the 99 percent,” attempts to speak for (almost) everyone. The movement’s largest criticism is that it cannot provide a clear, focused demand. What began as a movement about economic injustice has evolved into a movement of all sorts including police brutality, the right to peaceful assembly, opposition to budget cuts and tuition hikes, labor rights, homelessness, unemployment and even Utopian ideals for a better world.

The ultimate irony is that Sean Elsbernd himself is the poster child for what’s wrong with the old December runoffs and what’s right with RCV. Look at the results above for District 7: Supervisor Elsbernd won in 2004 in an “instant” runoff race with nearly 50% more votes than his predecessor Tony Hall had in 2000 in a delayed December runoff, 13,834 votes versus 9333 (in comparable turnout years). And Elsbernd had 43.7% of the “whole contest” vote total compared to 30.9% for Hall. No matter how you want to count it, more District 7 voters were able to have a say in who their supervisor is because Sup. Elsbernd was elected with ranked choice voting in a much higher turnout November election.

As we were leaving, we spotted some commotion around a sidewalk tree on the edge of the Plaza. We encountered “Robin,” a young man in his 20s, who is currently dwelling in a three-level tree platform which has been labeled “Ohlone Land.” Robin shouted down to us that “we are not coming down until Jean Quan agrees to let people camp at the Plaza again.” He explained that the platforms were built by Running Wolf and Black Foot, who wanted to have a presence in the Occupy Movement on behalf of Indigenous Peoples and their rights; to make a point that the City Hall complex is on stolen lands. Robin also pointed out that eco-justice issues need to have a more prominent place in the Occupy Movement.

Federal, state and local officials plan budget cuts instead of help. Human deprivation isn’t discussed in high places, only ways to grab more wealth and power. In plain sight, America’s no longer fit to live in. Neither are other Western countries, depriving the many for the few.

When I first arrived, a pow-wow of participants were engaged in introductions of the many organizations that were represented (Labor Council, ILWU, UHW, Coalition on Homelessness, etc). Individuals were invited to identify as newly visiting or having been with OccupySF for a while. The congenial crowd then did a run-through of linking arms and creating a human chain in anticipation of protecting the tents in front of the Federal Reserve.

According to final results published today by the San Francisco Department of Elections, Prop H failed to pass by 115 votes. The measure was previously leading with a small margin but failed after all ballots, including provisional ballots, were processed.

Citing health and safety issues, Nuru states, “The occupants of the tents and encampment on Market Street and Main Street, near the Federal Reserve, are hereby notified that they are in violation of City and County of San Francisco codes and must take down all tents and structures and vacate immediately.”

Sometime after OWS occupied Zuccotti Park, Brookfield promulgated rules, prohibiting, among other things, camping and/or the erection of tents or other structures; lying down on the ground, or lying down on benches; the placement of tarps or sleeping bags or other covering on the property; and storage or placement of personal property on the ground, benches, sitting areas or walkways which unreasonably interferes with the use of such areas by others. These rules were clearly aimed at OWS.

The public has the right to know what members have ties to what industries or lobbies, not only in the past, but also since the Super Committee was formed. For example, public action committees (PACs) associated with lawmakers on the Committee have shown a surge of contributions, and PACs representing corporate biggies like Pfizer and Lockheed Martin contributed more than $83,000 during August alone.

To illustrate, pretend your girlfriend stars in a well-reviewed movie as a superhero. You are proud of her for landing this role and playing the part of a strong woman leader. Then, you read a review about the movie where the critic salaciously refers to your girlfriend as a “fighting fuck toy,” after describing certain of her body parts in glowing detail. Or, pretend your mother has run for office and become Senator. After she’s served for a while, you begin to notice that most news outlets report that Mrs. Anderson (not Senator) “complained,” while her male counterparts merely “stated” their opposition. You will recall that during their campaigns, Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin were often painted as “bitch” or “ditz,” and there was much discussion about their wardrobes.

The special committee must report a bill with its recommendations by November 23, 2011. The recommendations would then have to be voted on by the full House and Senate under special rules. If the joint committee or Congress fail to act by December 23, 2011, the Act calls for automatic across-the-board cuts, split 50-50 between defense and non-defense spending.